


Big Brothers Don't Cry

by Donnies_Lady_87



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Big Brothers, Brothers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-13 07:07:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11179608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Donnies_Lady_87/pseuds/Donnies_Lady_87
Summary: A turtle tots story.  Leonardo has been gifted with his very first bokken training sword.  Jealously and resentment runs rife with a certain hot headed brother and things go terribly awry.  Big brothers don’t cry, or is it shouldn’t cry?  As Leo battles with this conundrum, Donnie is the voice of reason.  Big brothers do cry when it hurts.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 The Gift

 

It had all started when Master Splinter presented Leonardo with his very first training weapon. Eight year old Leonardo’s deep blue eyes widened as his father lowered what could only be one thing into his eager hands.

 

“Sensei, is that-?”

 

Splinter seemed to sense the joy that bubbled beneath his surface. A small smile slipped across his features.

 

“Yes Leonardo,” was the patient confirmation. “It is a bokken.”

 

The widest smile split the youngster’s face as he gripped the wooden sword in his hands. He could barely suppress his excitement at this amazing gift and couldn’t wait to try it out.

 

“I believe you are ready to accept the responsibility in the handling of your own weapon. It demands much discipline and with the proper mentality and application maybe one day you’ll prove yourself worthy of a real blade.”

 

Leo tried to listen to Splinter’s words like the good student that he was but for most of the speech all he could hear was the rapid beating of his own heart.

 

Leonardo bowed his head respectfully. “Thank you so much sensei.”

 

“You are welcome my son,” a gentle hand was briefly rested atop Leo’s bowed head before the tall rat turned away. “I will leave you to become acquainted with your bokken Leonardo. I can trust you to be sensible with it alone?” it didn’t really need to be said, Leonardo usually wasn't the impulsive kind but it was just something Splinter had to impart just like any other parent.

 

Leonardo stood, currently the second tallest of his brothers and bowed to his father again. “You can sensei.”

 

Splinter nodded. “Remember Leonardo, you are responsible for your own weapon.”

 

“Hai sensei.”

 

“Good,” Master Splinter made his way out of the dojo, smiling as he heard Leonardo whoop with elation and heard the displacement of air as he swung the wooden blade.

 

XXXX


	2. The Green Eyed Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to go really wrong...

It was a good hour and half before Leonardo had company. After his initial glee had subsided and he had stopped slashing at invisible enemies, he began to imitate the moves he had seen Master Splinter use with his own katana. That was how Raphael found him.

Arms folded across his plastron, Raph watched his older brother with a narrow eyed stare. The more he watched the narrower his eyes got and the more envious he became. Unaware of how impressive he looked, Leonardo continued, oblivious to his brother’s presence. With every swing he made, Raphael felt the jealousy prickle within him until he couldn’t stand to watch any more. The green eyed monster raised its ugly head.

Raphael strode out of the shadows.

“Hey Leo, what ya got there?”

XXXX

Leo fumbled his wooden sword, startled by his younger brother’s sudden appearance. “Raph! I-I didn’t see you there,” he said, wearing a sheepish grin before he composed himself properly. “Master Splinter gave me a bokken,” he admitted proudly. “He said I was ready to start training with a weapon.”

Raphael's stoic expression didn’t change. He regarded his older brother, his eyes finally settling on Leo’s newest prized possession.

“Can I have a look?” he asked, pointing to the bokken.

Leo hesitated, the words of Master Splinter repeating in his head, ‘you are responsible for your own weapon.’ He looked down at his wooden blade, nipping on his bottom lip as he mulled it over.

“C’mon Leo,” Raph’s voice sounded impatiently, interrupting his thoughts.

Leo glanced at the outstretched hand and up at Raph’s unchanging expression. “I-I don’t know Raph-,” he finally uttered, eyes now upon the ground.

“Don’t good big brothers share?” Raphael challenged him, using a different tact but the annoyance in his tone was poorly concealed.

Leonardo however was quick to respond to this comment. “You don’t share your things with Mikey or Donnie.”

“Of course I don’t!” Raph snapped irritably. “Mikey would break ‘em and Donnie would take ‘em apart!”

Leo remained silent and gave his red banded brother a meaningful expression. It took a moment to sink in but Raphael scowled when he realised his unspoken implication.

“I’m not gonna break your stupid toy!”

Leo frowned. “It’s not a toy! It’s a training weapon, it’s a bokken!”

“Oh whatever, give it here!” Raph made a sudden grab.

Leo dodged back a fraction too late. Raphael’s fingers wrapped around the shaft and bodily wrenched it from his grasp. “Raph! Give it back!”

“So, why didn’t Master Splinter give me a weapon to practice with?” Raph said, ignoring Leo’s hot demand.

“If you ask sensei maybe he’ll give you one of your own,” although unlikely sensei had surprised them before.

“Sure he would,” Raph said dryly, a large hand snapping out and stopping Leonardo in mid lunge.

Leo swatted Raphael’s digits away from his plastron as he stepped back. “You’ll never know until you ask.”

“I don’t wanna havetah ask for it,” Raph growled. “I wanna weapon given ta me!”

“You’ve got to earn it Raphael.”

“You stuck up teacher’s pet!” the stocky eight year old finally lost his temper and shoved his blue masked brother back. “I’m stronger than you and I deserve a weapon!!”

“No, you don’t!” Leo retorted as he staggered backwards. “Now give back my bokken!”

“Make me!” and the wooden blade was slashed out in front of him. 

Leo hopped back feeling the air whip across him as he avoided the careless attack. “Don’t Raph,” he said levelly.

“Don’t what?” Raph swung the bokken again aiming a blow for Leo’s shoulder.

Leonardo dropped and rolled to the side but was quick to regain his footing. “Raph, stop this and give it back!”

“You want it back?” the hot headed child taunted. “Then come an get it big brother!”

The bokken was swung wide and Leo immediately ducked. Why did Raph have to do this? He always did things like this! He knew why their father hadn’t presented him with a training weapon yet because he would do something stupid with it. Like hitting his little brothers to see how well it worked.

Leo then leapt up attempting to put Raph in an arm lock and pull him down but with a grunt of effort his brother lifted him up and delivered a hard punch to his nearest shoulder. It was enough to force Leo to let go but refusing to give up he sent a fist upwards, smacking Raph smartly in the jaw. Raphael staggered back, leaving his brother enough opportunity to take a dive at him and pin him to the floor. Leo reached for the blade but felt a sudden pressure in his stomach before he was launched off his brother by a forceful kick. He’d forgotten how strong Raphael was. He landed on his shell, the air temporarily knocked out of his young lungs.

Raph soon loomed over him, his face a picture of pure anger. “You think you’re so perfect!” he pointed the bokken directly at him. “That you can’t do anthin’ wrong!”

Although the initial argument had been about the bokken, Leonardo realised it had spiralled into something a lot deeper and a lot more personal. In a fit of seemingly impotent rage Raphael swung the wooden blade down where it hit the floor with some force mere inches from Leo’s head. The youngster swore he heard a faint crack sound in his ear.

“I listen to what Master Splinter has to say. I pay attention Raphael! I don’t go running off like a-,” what was that saying he’d heard sensei use the other day? “Like a bull in a china shop!”

A dangerous light suddenly flared up in Raph’s vivid green eyes, his anger writhing into a bitter, hurtful fury that he couldn’t contain, he couldn’t control. Master Splinter always seemed to favor Leonardo over him. He was the good and dutiful student who always did what he was told. Raph was the one who challenged his sensei every step of the way. That was just who he was and he couldn’t change that, no matter how hard he tried.

“He favors you Leo! He favors you over me!!”

“No he doesn’t Raph-!”

Leo had just managed to raise himself to one knee when Raphael brought the bokken down doubled handed. An emerald fire blazed from two glassy mirrors which shone with untold hurt and resentment. Leo’s eyes widened as he realised his brother’s intention. With no time to move Leonardo raised his right arm to protect himself.

The fury, the resentment, the bitterness and the hurt was reflected in the force of Raphael’s blow and he felt the small fracture in the bokken’s compromised state give way as it smashed into his eldest brother’s protecting arm.

Leo’s pained yell echoed round the dojo as the radiating waves of pain surged through his forearm. The wooden blade snapped upon impact and as the splintered end flew over his head, Leonardo swept out his leg and knocked Raphael’s feet out from under him. There followed a startled cry and a crunch as his brother’s heavily built frame hit the floor but Leo didn’t look up. He couldn’t.

XXXX

Somewhat dazed Raph groaned, hand to his head as he pushed himself into a sitting position. Trust Leo to get the final hit in. “Keep ya stupid toy Leo, it’s broken anyway,” Raph muttered, casting a simmering glare in his oldest brother’s direction. Leo however didn’t respond, not even to correct Raphael which he had fully expected.

Leonardo held his struck arm to his plastron, eyes squeezed shut as he heaved in breaths that echoed with undertones of pain.

“Leo?”

“M-my arm,” Leo managed to utter.

Raph got to his feet and frowned down at his sibling. “Quit messin’ around and get up-”

His words died in his throat when he saw a thin stream of blood slip from between Leo’s cradling fingers. The annoyance in his eyes quickly dissipated, a horrible feeling gripped his chest like a vice made of ice and fire. What had he done?

Leo finally looked up, wide eyes full of disbelief, pain and unshed tears. To accompany the sudden rush of panic, Raph’s self defensive mechanism kicked into gear even as the upset surged up his own throat.

“It-it’s your own fault Leo!” the lump was apparent in his throat but poorly concealed by the front of anger. “Y-you should’ve just given me the stupid sword!” the anguish pushed painfully forward but Raph seemed too stubborn to even accept his own feelings.

Leonardo whimpered incoherently and clenched his eyes shut as the pain of his injury sought to find a voice.

Raph bit down on his bottom lip, bit it hard till he tasted blood. He didn’t want to see his older brother’s pain and the next lines that slipped past his mouth reflected what he thought. “What- what are ya gonna do now? Cry? ‘Coz-coz big brothers don’t cry!!” he pointed the broken shaft down at Leo who stared at the shattered end wretchedly.

The blue masked turtle staggered ungainly to his feet, valiantly swallowing back the onslaught of tears that had started to rise like a tide. With one last pained look at his red banded brother Leo fled.

Raph watched his flight and his gaze fell back to the ragged end of the bokken, still tightly gripped in his fist. A smear of scarlet assaulted his sight and with a frightened gasp threw the training sword away. Upset breaths shuddered through his chest as he pressed a hand to his mouth. What was wrong with him?!

“RAPHAEL!”

As the familiar voice boomed across the dojo Raph glanced fearfully over his shoulder and froze. He was in very serious trouble.

XXXX


End file.
